


Seventeen Thousand

by Setkia



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: 17 Thousand is a lot, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Smidge Of Angst, insecure!magnus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 15:56:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11695002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Setkia/pseuds/Setkia
Summary: “There were seventeen thousand of them,” Magnus said softly, “And none of them stayed.”“I’d stay.”





	Seventeen Thousand

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Shadowhunters. As a reader of the books, I knew that most of the problems in their relationship were because of Alec, and I always felt Alec was one of those underappreciated characters so I was really happy that the TV show decided to do more of their relationship. I wrote this when season 2 had about 13 episodes, and I recently found the file again. I really do love these two and I really love the insecurities added into Magnus' character for the show. Also, can we just all agree that Alec is fine as hell?

On Alexander’s neck, there was a marking. A dark marking written with a Steele, proof of his angel heritage. Magnus had been with many people over the centuries, men and women, mundane and not, but never had he ever attempted something with a Nephilim. Unless Will counted, but that was brief and was over in a second (literally). He found himself curious about the Markings. Yes, he got much hate from people for being a Warlock, especially during the time of Salem, but nowadays though it was mostly gone it still crept up on him. That he was different. That his eyes were strange, that without Glamour he was an abomination. 

Shadowhunters were a different species altogether. Shadowhunters couldn’t hide Runes, they marked their own skin and wore them proudly, but after his first date with Alec, Magnus realized that there were more Downworlders with problems with the children of angels than he had first believed (and he had been under no illusions when he had first made his estimate). 

Magnus found his lips to be trailing that Rune, so dark in contrast to Alec’s skin, and from the sounds the boy was making from under him, he was enjoying it. Quite enthusiastically.

This thing with Alexander was new in many ways. Since the wedding and the many things that had gotten in the way of his first date with Alec, not much time had passed and yes the relationship was new in that sense, but it was new in so many other senses as well. It had been slightly under a hundred years since Magnus had last let himself get into a relationship, which may have been a smart move on his part, considering all the wars of the twentieth century, but he was a bit rusty. On top of that, he had never dared to venture into Shadowhunter territory, they always seemed something beyond him, something unattainable. New relationship, new century, new family name as well. 

Lightwood. He would’ve never imagined a Lightwood to be to his liking, nor did he think it’d be reciprocated, to the point where he’d stop his own wedding for him. Lightwoods were known for their pride and honor and every now and then, Magnus’ insecurities got the better of him and he couldn’t help but wonder why Alec had chosen him. 

The Lightwoods made it no secret how little they thought of Magnus and yet Alec stood by his side. Every expectation Magnus had when going into the relationship, from how much effort he’d put in to how little Alec would, to how vulnerable he’d allow himself to be and how he’d patch himself up when it was all over, it felt like it Alec was determined to break away all his barriers that had kept him safe for over two centuries.

Alexander Lightwood was considered by many to be second best, especially when standing next to Jace. 

Jace could be gold all he wanted, but Alec, Alec was silver and silver, though not many people knew it, was much rarer than gold.

And though Jace had a reputation of being dangerous, Magnus found himself constantly in danger around Alec, in a way that made his head spin and he figured out he was getting besotted a bit too quickly into a relationship he wasn’t sure how Alec felt about. But when Alec moved against him like this, letting Magnus take control, holding onto him tightly as if scared Magnus would let go (never, Magnus would never,  _ could _ never let go), and giving him small signs he wanted him to continue, it helped wash away everything Magnus feared, let him live in the moment. Time stood still and perhaps time had a very different meaning to warlocks than to humans, but Magnus could freeze time as it were right now, just him and Alec, and he’d be satisfied.

“Izzy,” Alec breathed slowly.

Magnus froze and stiffened for a second. Izzy? Wasn’t Isabelle Alec’s sister? His very biological, very straight, very  _ female _ sister? Though after Lydia, Magnus wasn’t too sure. He tried to laugh it off, chuckling into his neck. “If you can think of Isabelle at a time like this, I’m not doing my job right.” 

“Izzy told me something weird yesterday,” Alec breathed. Magnus licked his way around Alec’s Rune, and hummed into his skin, dragging his fingernail down Alec’s chest, prompting him to continue. He loved the way his boyfriend shivered pleasantly from the action. “It’s kinda ridiculous,” he said, “Just that … mmm …” Alec let out a giggle, an actual giggle from Magnus’ lips connecting with his collarbone. “Well, she said that—stop that, I’m trying to talk!”

“Then talk.” But Magnus kept tracing the boy’s Runes, feeling Alec tremble underneath him.

“She said that you’re my sugar daddy,” Alec said, letting out a gasp from Magnus sucking at his pulse.

Magnus pulled away and pushed at Alec’s chest, making the Shadowhunter sink deeper into the couch, towering over him. 

“You’re not, obviously,” Alec said, reaching up and putting a hand on Magnus’ neck. “I know that and you know that—”

Alec froze, seeing the look on Magnus’ face. “You  _ do _ know that, right?”

“Of course,” Magnus said but his tone gave him away.

Alec tried to sit up but Magnus put a hand on his chest and pushed him down. “Magnus—”

“Isabelle is quite imaginative, isn’t she?”

“Magnus,” Alec said, pushing against him. He seemed to be trying to escape Magnus’ grip and it broke his heart. “Magnus, look at me.”

Magnus turned his head away. He was panicking, his Glamour was going to slip. He already knew his eyes had turned into slits, this wasn’t good. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. “Nothing’s wrong, Alexander.”

“You’re lying to me.” Alec shifted his body so that he was able to sit up and Magnus straddled his waist. “You know you’re not, don’t you? You know I … I think of you as my boyfriend, right? I mean I know we never talked about it or anything but I—”

“Alexander, how old are you?” 

Magnus didn’t need to look to know Alec was staring at him in wonder. “What?”

“How old are you, Alec?”

“E-eighteen,” Alec said slowly. “Magnus if this is about your age—”

“Alexander, the watch that you’re wearing,” Magnus knew Alec was looking at it without having to see, “Who gave it to you?”

“That doesn’t mean—”

“What were we just doing?”

“Magnus, you can’t seriously think—”

Magnus got off of the couch slowly and turned his back to Alec. “I think it’s time you left.”

Alec didn’t move.

Damn stubborn Lightwoods.

“Magnus, I don’t know what you think of this relationship we have but I … I like to think we’re equals, that we’re in this together.” Alec reached out and grabbed Magnus’ wrist. Magnus couldn’t find it in him to push him away. “Just because I’m young and I’ve never done this before doesn’t make this relationship any less meaningful to me—”

“Enough, Alexander.”

“No, not enough.” He felt Alec stand up and his arms wrapped around Magnus’ waist, he was breathing into his ear. “I’m not finished with you yet. I don’t care how many people you’ve been with if it’s 17000, or 17 million. It’s not though, right?” Alec asked, worry creeping into his voice.

“Alexan—”

“I mean how much time do you have on your hands that you’d manage 17 million? That’d be pretty impressive— um, not the point.” Magnus couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at the nervous tone in Alec’s voice. “I know I’m new at this, and I know you know about my feelings for Jace.”

Magnus sucked in a breath. Right. Jace. Jace always seemed to come first to Alec and that was a place Magnus could never fill. Jace had proven himself to be more than a little straight, obviously he was just a rebound for Alec. Magnus and Jace did have numerous things in common, a long history of lovers, a cocky attitude, an enigmatic charm. It still hurt for Magnus to think about it, but it wasn’t so ridiculous that Alec was using him. “And I love him, I do.”

Again, it was the truth but Magnus had to shut his eyes and breathe deeply to stop the tears. 

“But I’m not  _ in _ love with him. Not anymore.”

Magnus let out a gasp and one of Alec’s arms from around his waist reached up to his neck, tilting it slightly to the side. “You know I have no experience and I think I’m in over my head in this relationship, I’ve seen Camille. And she has so many things I’ll never have, a chance of eternity with you to start with. And you might say I’m young and I don’t know what I want but  _ I _ kissed  _ you _ , remember? You came and crashed the wedding, but I’m the one who kissed you. And I know my mother hates you and my dad’s only starting to warm up to this but … Magnus … I know that everyone seems to be against us, and even if I weren’t a Shadowhunter and you weren’t a warlock, you’re still older than me, I’m still younger, you still have more experience and I still just came out of the closet. No matter where we are, no matter what universe we’re in, there are problems. Things don’t just fall into place, we have to work for them. And I’m willing to make this work Magnus, I really am.”

Magnus tasted his tears as they fell without his consent, filling his mouth with a bitter taste. “There were seventeen thousand of them,” Magnus said softly, “And none of them stayed.”

“I’d stay.”

“You don’t know that, Alexander.”

“Maybe I don’t,” Alec admitted softly. “Maybe you’re too much for me to handle. Maybe in six months, I’ll hate you, I don’t know. Maybe you’re going to drive me crazy and I’ll call it quits, or maybe my parents will come and hunt you down for trying to taint their eldest child. Or maybe I’ll buy a coffee machine and make it for you in the morning, and maybe I’ll show you some moves that don’t involve magic. Maybe I’ll make Church like me, there are so many things that could go wrong, but there are so many things that could go  _ right _ and I’m not pretending to understand them or understand you. I don’t know you, Magnus. I don’t know you like I know Isabelle or like I know Jace. You’re unfamiliar and scary and new and I will be the first to tell you I am terrified. But, Clary just made a fearless Rune. I’m willing to try. So the question is, are you?”

Magnus took a deep breath and tilted his head up towards Alec. He had calmed down, his eyes were back under the Glamour. “Church will never like you.”

Alec chuckled. “Well, I can dream.” He tilted Magnus’ chin up. “Magnus, show me.”

“Show you what?”

“Your eyes.”

“You’re looking at them.”

“I want to see your real eyes.”

Magnus looked away. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Slowly, Magnus turned to Alec, letting the Glamour fall, scared of what would happen. If Alec would push him away like so many others had before, Magnus … Magnus didn't know what he'd do.

Alec just grinned, staring into his cat-like eyes, looking like slits.

“You know … they’re kinda sexy.”

Magnus grinned.

For now, everything was going to be okay.


End file.
